You’ve probably all seen at least one interp where the performer points, waves or caresses some imaginary object every third of a second. At that point, you are no longer watching the performance; you’re watching the performer’s hands, wondering if they are going to take flight into a fluorescent light fixture.

On the flip side, you have all probably seen an unfortunate competitor with their hands glued to the side of their body, just staring intensely at you with forehead veins pulsating, or worse staring at a script that they clearly don’t know.

Here are a few helpful tips on how to give your gestures purpose and take your performance to the next level.

Give your objects weight- If you are picking something up a fifty pound weight in your piece, ensure that your audience knows how heavy it is. To help you get in the moment practice with the actual object that you are miming. Also, don’t forget to recognize as an actor if your invisible object is wet, hot, sharp or smooth.

Find unique gestures for individual characters- It can help not only build your characterization by giving each character a tick that makes sense, but it can help the judges differentiate between them. Being unable to distinguish between character pops is often times a huge criticism in Interp; just be sure that you select a gesture that makes sense for the character. For instance, in my DI script Falling Down the Rabbit Hole, a young woman chooses to give away her baby, so she might rub her belly every time she is reminded of her baby.

Find the most powerful moments- If you move every second the movement becomes less impactful and distracting. Mark up your script and find some specific moments where you think a gesture might make a judge feel something. A good rule of thumb is, if the gesture is appropriate for the character and script and will make an audience feel something, then use it. If your gesture does not pass that test, then it is probably not making your piece more effective.

Clint Snyder is an accomplished playwright with over 50 scripts through various publishers. He recently launched a line of scripts on the SpeechGeek Market called Interp Script House

Duo can be one of the most rewarding events in interp; playing opposite someone else can teach you a lot about yourself. In order to further develop the plot a characterization of a duo, it is essential that you develop the foil in it.

It would obviously help the foil if you start by casting your duo partner as someone who is physically polar opposite from you, but this is not always possible. The best comedic example of foil at work is Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple, this play embodies the principle that foil helps drive a plot and moves an audience to feel something. Other than casting choices, there are a few quick tips to developing foil through characterization.

Find the conflict of the piece- What is at the heart of the story? Figure out what your characters want and what is preventing them from getting it. If it is their own personalities, or the opposite character, you may find a motivation for your character that you did not even know was there. In my piece Thanksgiving Hunger Strike, two juvenile patients in an insane asylum find conflict not only with each other, but with themselves for how they became institutionalized.

Develop your character’s movement- Add some unique physicality to your character that makes sense with the script. Your choices should not only be different from your own, but polar opposite your duo partner. These choices, while seemingly insignificant, add to the conflict of the piece and make it more interesting to watch.

Take risks- Nothing is more boring than an actor that does exactly what the audience would expect them to do. This is the same reason why using new material in interp is so important. After finding your character’s motivation, have some fun with the line reading to discover new ways to make your characters conflict below a surface reading of the script. Every interpretation is inherently different because of the different performers, but it is up to you to find a unique character that only you can create.

Clint Snyder is an accomplished playwright with over 50 scripts through various publishers. He recently launched a line of scripts on the SpeechGeek Market called Interp Script House

Half way through the season you have probably performed your piece hundreds of times and practiced it thousands more. By the end of the season you might find yourself completely disconnected to your script and begging your coach to do a new one.

Staying connected to a script is not a new struggle for actors. For those lucky enough to make it to Broadway they can find themselves playing the same part for years, even decades. Here are a few tips to keeping your script fresh, because if you stop caring about your performance, so will the audience.

Remember the Audience- There is always a fine line in live theatre to recognizing an audience. While your first focus should always be the character(s) that you are portraying, there will always be a part of you that is recognizing when a judge is laughing, crying, or staring at you with a pencil falling out of their mouth. Use the energy of the audience to vary your performance. If they laugh particularly hard at a joke, give yourself a few moments before moving on. The live aspect of each round inherently makes speech team more exciting and fun.

Use different sense memories- If you are a fan of using sense memory prior to a performance have a few different ones in mind before getting into character. If you take a moment to think about it, there are undoubtedly moments in your life where you have felt the same as the driving character in your piece, but if you use the same one every time you will become numb to it. Have a different sense memory for each round. While you should not be thinking about your sense memory while performing, sometimes it can be the needed push to get you in a place where you feel funny or emotional.

Practice makes perfect- When you are practicing your piece, never go about it half-heartedly. If you fail to connect to the piece while you are practicing, then chances are you will fail to connect to it while you are performing. Many times we justify this by saying we are just learning the lines, but you are much more likely to remember your lines if you can connect them to feelings. If after all this you still cannot connect to the piece, it may be time to take your own advice and find another.

Clint Snyder is an accomplished playwright with over 50 scripts through various publishers. He recently launched a line of scripts on the SpeechGeek Market called Interp Script House

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https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/14759353-what-do-you-mean-by-debate-like-a-girl2014-07-02T21:32:00-05:002014-07-02T21:32:32-05:00"What Do You Mean By, 'Debate Like a Girl?'"Stephanie Alderdice
Let's be honest. The colloquial phrase, "like a girl," hasn't been a terribly flattering one. As a kid, it was a sneering insult that made an otherwise innocuous term sound like a four-letter word.

You hit like a girl.

You run like a girl.

You fight like a girl.

It is as if doing something "like a girl," meant that the effort was less than ideal. This brilliant video from Always was recently launched tackling this rhetoric.

Similarly, Verizon paired up with Makers to illustrate the subtle ways in which girls and young women are discouraged from expressing their curiosity and critical thinking skills.

Many people will contend that the necessity for gender equality has passed. There aren't any rules preventing women from becoming doctors, astronauts, mothers, teachers, artists, entrepreneurs, scientists, or politicians. Some may point out statistics that show a greater percentage of women enrolling in college to illustrate that everything is going great.

One would think that being a highly influential leader in a public debate would mean that the content and quality of one's arguments would be the most important factor. They are, unless you happen to demonstrate some semblance emotion. Then journalists will pose the question, "Can Hillary Cry Her Way Back into the White House?"

So let's start reclaiming what it means to do things like a girl. Young women and girls can be as passionate, critical, articulate, argumentative, competitive, and successful as they want to be. There is no shortage of desire, curiosity, or talent among today's young women. That's why we're selling our "Debate Like a Girl" shirts and donating the proceeds to the Women's Debate Institute. The funds will help cover the cost of their tuition-free debate camp for high school and college aged girls.

The shirts also give you the opportunity to start discussing the power and potential of young women in forensics and debate. Though it isn't perfect, this activity celebrates the accomplishments, intelligence, passion, charisma, and efforts of a diverse community of individuals. If someone asks you what it means to "Debate like a girl," you have your answer.

Debating like a girl means using passion, critical thinking, logic, and strategy. How else would they do it?

The WDI hosts a tuition-free summer camp for young women in high school and college who are interested in debate. If we sell at least 100 t-shirts, it will help to cover the cost of two campers, but we'd love to sell even more! We're taking pre-orders until July 16th and the shirts will begin shipping around August 4th.

We'll update our progress bar once a day. Help us move that bar across the screen by purchasing a shirt and spreading the word to coaches, teammates, and alumni!

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https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/14746989-speechgeek-market-interp-publishers-information2014-07-01T19:18:00-05:002014-07-01T19:18:50-05:00SpeechGeek Market Interp Publishers InformationStephanie Alderdice
We appreciate your interest in purchasing oral interp scripts from SpeechGeek Market! We know that state and national forensic organizations have different requirements for literature used in competition. In order to make your search for qualified scripts easier, we've compiled the following information.

Most scripts available in SpeechGeek Market are available in digital and print copies. The base price listed is a digital PDF copy of the script. Once you complete your online order, you will receive an e-mail confirmation from the store and a notification e-mail from FetchApp. The notification e-mail will contain a link that will take you to the page where you can download your file. The link will be active for two months or fifteen downloads, but we will be happy to reactivate your link should you need to re-download your purchase.

For a small fee, you can choose the "Digital + Print" option when ordering. Simply click the drop down menu to select this option.

Your print copy will ship within 48-72 hours of your order confirmation. At this time, there is no "Print Only" option for the scripts in our store.

When you purchase scripts from SpeechGeek Market, you're able to download the files to your computer and print copies as needed. Please do not post copies of the script on publicly accessible websites or servers. We have found that while some schools may have such servers available to staff and students, a quick internet search allows people free access to materials they haven't purchased. Preventing unauthorized distribution of scripts allows publishers to continue to create new content for folks to enjoy! have any questions, feel free to contact us.

ISBNs

Have no fear! The publication sold within the SpeechGeek Market contain ISBNs! Check the list below for the issue you may need.

Kansas City will be "a world of pure forensication" this Sunday. We'll be at the Vendor Expo selling digital and print copies of our interp scripts at a special price. We'll also be giving away tons of stuff like the cup Sir William H. Wonka is holding, vinyl stickers, and these really cool pens that double as a stylus for your touch screen devices. That's some Inspector Gadget type stuff and they're free to those who visit our booth (and ideally buy some stuff)!

(We're also setting up a Square card reader at the expo! So if you (student, coach, or parent) are interested in purchasing interp materials but don't want to carry a lot of cash, you'll be able to swipe your card at the table and have your receipt sent via e-mail or text message. We'll collect your e-mail address and have your digital files sent before the tournament is finished. You'll be ready for the new season before this one even ends. How cool is that?)

BUT WAIT -- THERE'S MORE!

We've made ultra-rare "Speech Meme" buttons that we're only giving out to SpeechGeek fans at the NSDA Vendor Expo who join us on social media. It's pretty easy, but you have to do a few things:

3). Make a post containing the hashtags #SpeechGeek AND #Nats14. It won't count if you don't have both. Even something as simple as, "Excited to see #SpeechGeek here at #Nats14!" or "Going to grab some free stuff from #SpeechGeek at #Nats14," or "Yay! #SpeechGeek #Nats14" will do.

You can make your posts now through the end of the expo. One button per person. Quantities are limited. If you can't make it to the National Tournament, don't worry! There will be other chances to get the buttons in the future.

When you're preparing a humongous, totally momentous competition - there are things you like to do to get in the mood. Get all of your clothes lined up, create the perfect playlist, Facebook everyone you know who will be there, maybe...actually...uh...practice or something. Or whatever. As for me, I'm all about the movies.

Sure, some folks like the sports films. It makes sense. Competition, struggle, winning...hoo-ray...that hits the spot. Maybe you're tired of watching The Karate Kid, Rudy, Remember the Titans, Bring It On, Stomp the Yard, Happy Gilmore, or any of those other films featuring feats of athleticism. No hate...no hate...but, eh...we've been there before.

That's why I downloaded The Lego Movie as soon as it came out this week.

Now, if you're one of those "Blah blah animated movies are for little kids" folks, then you can go find another party to poop on. Plenty of people LOVED The Lego Movie. Seriously, it's worth a viewing.

If you've already seen the movie, you may be scrunching up your face like, "Whaaaat? Pffft. How is that even related to forensics?" Well unscrunch your face, cynic. I'm about to get on the S.S. Explainer and take you on a trip to This-Is-Whyville.

Emmett (voiced by the deeeelightful Chris Pratt) is an average guy who happily follows the rules and gets overlooked by those around him. When he stumbles upon the piece of resistance -- the key to thwarting the evil Lord Business (Will Ferrell) -- he is considered "The Special" master builder who will save the world. The only problem is that unlike the master builders who can assemble anything they can grab into anything they can imagine - Emmett only knows how to get things done by following for the rules. When he does have an idea, it is generally laughed at.

Those who have seen the movie know there's a 'twist,' but I'm not going to spoil that for you.

I will say that there is a lesson regarding the idea of following a formula versus embracing one's own quirky and creative ideas. In forensics, there are rules that we have to follow: time limits, literature choices, quoting sources. But then there are tons of unwritten rules that we think we have to follow. When you watch videos of previous champions and finalists, you begin to break down those performances as instructions for success. "This is what you have to do to be successful, because this is what these successful people have done." And yes, in a way, there are great lessons to be learned in the process.

But blindly following the instructions to make something "look the way everyone else thinks it should look," as the movie points out, isn't all that it is cracked up to be. Slowly but surely, you're erasing the little parts of you that don't look like everyone else. It's like making a sandwich without including a special sauce. Your ideas, your passion, your connection to your speech, you are the special sauce. Without the special sauce, there's nothing unique about your performance.

The Lego Movie is a celebration of creativity and individuality. Pragmatically, you can't just waltz into a round, do whatever you want, and expect to win. With forensics competition, you'll have to make some concessions and adjustments so audience members and judges understand what you're trying to say. But that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice the unique and creative ideas you bring to the table.

No one else thinks the way you do. No one laughs like you, or feels the exact same way as you. Ten people could do the same piece, but you can bring your own special sauce to make it your own flavor. Maybe the judge won't appreciate your flavor. So what. That's life. There will be people in your life who may not appreciate what you can do. But there will be other people who love what you do, who would stockpile crates of your special sauce.

Those people in the videos? The finalists and champions that inspire you? They got there because they brought some unique part of themselves into the round. Sometimes we get lucky and get judges and audiences that just so happen to appreciate our sauce at that moment. That's how you become legendary. That's how you become the inspiration - to hundreds of people on the final stage or dozens of people in your regular rounds. That's the whole point of this activity. To get together, share ideas, perform for each other, and genuinely celebrate how wonderful it is that we're all so weird, smart, and creative.

If you get a chance, watch The Lego Movie. Hopefully you'll be amused, if not inspired. Here's to building something amazing for the national tournament.

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https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/13817177-2014-nfa-national-championship-tournament-advancing-out-round-participants2014-04-21T09:32:59-05:002014-04-21T13:50:53-05:002014 NFA National Championship Tournament -- Advancing Out Round ParticipantsStephanie Alderdice
If you're curious to see the competition pool that the finalists must advance through, check out the images below.

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https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/13714545-college-forensics-a-celebrity-intro-to-public-address2014-04-16T14:37:01-05:002014-04-16T14:37:39-05:00College Forensics: A Celebrity Intro to Public AddressStephanie Alderdice
Let's be honest, if you're a speaker in high school forensics, it can be tough. Interpers have plenty of events to choose from, limited preppers can bounce between domestic and international Extemp, Impromptu, and for many - Broadcasting. But if you prefer to give an audience ten straight minutes of fully prepared content, unless your circuit regularly offers events like Expository, chances are that Oratory is your bread and butter. Bread and butter are great. Sometimes, though, you want a cold cut combo or veggies and hummus. Womp womp - welcome to Oratory.

All of that changes once you hit the collegiate circuit. The four public address events run 8-10 minutes, are typically memorized (though manuscripts are allowed), and visual aids are welcomed. Visual aids: a treasure to behold (and a burden to be carrying) can range from foam boards and models, to handouts, brochures, or anything that is necessary to help illustrate and emphasize your message.

While some of the names of the events are fairly self explanatory - Informative and Persuasive - others, like After Dinner Speaking and Rhetorical Criticism (a.k.a. Communication Analysis) are a bit more unique. To capture not only the specifics but also the "spirit" of the event, we've chosen a few celebrity speakers who we believe capture the essence of the public address events in one way or the other. Unlike Josh Gad's championship in Oratory, we're not suggesting that any of these celebrities actually competed in these events. If we were running our own Fantasy Forensic League though, we'd definitely be interested in recruiting them.

When it comes to presenting information in a clear, coherent, and charming fashion - we thought nobody captured the spirit of Info quite like Neil deGrasse Tyson. The internet darling slash astrophysicist blends enthusiasm and education in his talk show appearances and on Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey. If you haven't caught his appearances on The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, or The Big Bang Theory then you're missing out. Check out how he uses humor and intelligence to spark human curiosity and make science so fascinating. Watch as he discusses human communication and space below.

Aristotle believed that persuasion occurs through logos (logic), pathos (emotions), and ethos (credibility). Speakers who come across as credible and knowledgeable, incorporate logic and reasoning into their argumentation, and touch upon the emotions of the audience tend to have greater efficacy in successful persuasion. Whether you agree with Maddow's political perspective, her ability as a speaker to use pauses, inflection, reasoning, and emotional appeals demonstrate her commitment to communicating her message.

If you've ever sat through a round of After Dinner Speaking (or Speech To Entertain), the inclusion of Jon Stewart is obvious. The goal of a successful After Dinner Speaker is to utilize humor as a means of conveying a message. While the description sounds easy, the execution is much more challenging. This isn't a stand-up comedy routine - judges will be looking for a message, argument, and research to support your claims. Veer too far into your rhetoric and you lose the rhythm and mood of the audience. Many speakers have found Stewart's ability to effortlessly transition from clown to critic to be the gold standard in style, (while finding their own voice, jokes, and message, of course.) It would help to have a team of writers and the ability to use television clips in rounds, but you make adjustments as needed. Regardless of whether you agree with his political perspective, the live audience response shows that he's able to sell his jokes.

Admittedly, this entry may strike a few as a bit...odd. Fashion guru and mentor of Project Runway, Tim Gunn, isn't the first name that comes to mind when discussing public speakers. Bear with us - we have a reason for this inclusion.

Of all of the collegiate public address events, Rhetorical Criticism (similarly known as Communication Analysis at the AFA-NIET) is perhaps the most challenging event for high school speakers to pick up. The event entails a speaker selecting a piece of rhetoric or a communication event (say, a public service campaign or monument) and examining its efficacy and resulting implications through the use of a particular methodology. Sound confusing?

There's an analogy we like to use when explaining the event to lay judges. Pretend that your communication event (a.k.a. "the artifact") is an outfit that a person is wearing. You want to discern whether this person's outfit would be considered a great trendsetting outfit. The guide that you will use to determine if an outfit is trendy might be a particular fashion magazine's "Ten Trendsetting Items for Spring 2014." If the outfit meets the magazine's standards, then you can say, "This outfit is an effective trendsetter because it follows the tips laid out in this particular fashion magazine." The outfit may meet none, or a few of the items laid out in the magazine. Your implications may be that a good looking outfit may make the wearer more or less popular - or you may find that there are underlying issues with the tips the magazine laid out. For example, "Yes, Modern Mom does have interesting spring fashion tips, but those may not be applicable to a seventeen-year old person."

As a speaker in Rhetorical Criticism, you're juggling a variety of hats. At one moment you're educating your audience about the different standards you will use to analyze the artifact, then you'll turn around and begin to pick apart the different aspects in the next. Ultimately, your goal is to be an insightful and unbiased critic, communicating your assessment while being willing to see the potential for both success and failure in the process. It may not be the perfect parallel, but it ideally captures part of the spirit of the event.

Just kidding. Working with a black book looks scarier than it really is.

Have you ever watched a sitcom where there's a class assignment that requires two OBVIOUSLY incompatible people to take joint responsibility in caring for an inanimate object like it was a baby? They're all like, "Whaaat? This is ridiculous. I don't want to carry around this sack of flour!" But they misplace the bag of flour and then they're all like, "Oh noes! I totes need that to do well!" Then they kinda, sorta, accidentally enjoy taking care of the bag of flour. It becomes their "bay-bay" not in the literal sense, but in a "I have a newly found respect for what this inanimate object comes to represent."

This is what the black book is for college interpers. Instead of a flour sack, you find yourself tasked with carrying around a black binder. At first you think, "This is ridiculous! I can barely move one of my arms! I need that arm to reach all of my #feeeelings!" But you pretty much have to carry it around because the manuscript is required in college interp and the binder (although a norm and not technically a rule) is pretty much expected.

One day you go to a coaching session, but you forget your binder in your room and you start to try to run through your performance but...but...you can't. Someone tries to hand you a different binder, but it just feels wrong. Then you realize that like it or not...you've grown attached that three ring lump of vinyl and cardboard. It's yo "bay-bay."

To compare college and high school interp as "similar but different" is vague, frustrating, and kind of accurate. Yes, there are characters, intros, and #feeeelings, but the college circuit tends to reward more nuanced and subdued performances. Yes, you keep your script in your binder, but the regulations for publication verification aren't there. Yes, you speak for 8 to 10 minutes, but no one is giving you time signals or grace periods. Yes, H.I. does not exist as an event in college, but you'll be using humor in a variety of pieces. You'll have teasers and intros - and those introductions better sound like an ivy league English lit course squeezed into sixty seconds.

I feel like I'm selling the college interps short right now. There are some really awesome things you can do! The events are based on genre of literature, not the tone. You'll see Proses and D.I.s that are downright hilarious. Program events allow you to create innovative performances by splicing different pieces together. Topics, subject matter, and language are more mature and varied than what you would typically find in the high school circuit. There is more freedom to experiment - as long as you're able to explain the reasons behind your experimentation. Plus, the movies, television shows, spoken word poetry, and online literature that may not have an ISBN number is fair game in collegiate competition.

When you add all of this together you find that college interp performances are thought-provoking, emotionally driven, and quite often life-changing performances. With this new world of literature, splicing, and argumentation - you're able to learn more about yourself and the world around you. It is one of the rare opportunities available to combine rhetoric, passion, performance, and competition.

Below you'll find a list of the interp events you'll see most often at college tournaments. Some areas may offer specialized events, experimental events, or improvisational events. For the sake of simplicity, this article will focus on discussing the descriptions, rules, and norms of the interp events as they appear at the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament and the National Forensic Association National Tournament.

Dramatic refers to the type of literature and not the tone of the performance. Pulled from plays, television, film, radio plays, and videos, the goal is to create a vivid character(s) from a piece written with the intention of being performed. D.I.s can range from a singular monologue, one character addressing an audience, multiple characters addressing an audience, multiple characters in off-stage dialogue, or a combination of different styles. Use of manuscript is required.

Duo Interp

AFA, NFA, IFA,

PRP, DSR, PKD

Similar to high school competition, Duo involves two performers. Recently, national organizations such as AFA and NFA have begun to open the doors for programs and different literature to be used in the event. This means a Duo may range from two characters in one play to multiple characters in a performance that includes plays, prose, and poetry. The goal is to utilize teamwork, highlight interpersonal relationships/cooperation, and employ effective characterization through the interpretation of literature. Use of manuscript is required.

PoetryInterp

AFA, NFA, IFA,

PRP, DSR, PKD

Poets of the world rejoice! Be it spoken word, free verse, sonnets, haikus - if it is considered a poem then consider it fair play. You'll find that Poetry in college is quite similar to what you see in high school competition. Without rules restricting literature to ISBN publications - you'll find a greater range of literature available for performance. From one long poem to a program of several, highlighting the use of vivid language (while maintaining a coherent and compelling theme/argument in a program) is the goal. Use of manuscript is required.

ProgramOral Interp

AFA, IFA,PRP, DSR, PKD

Program Oral Interp (a.k.a. P.O.I. or "Poy like boy") allows performers to craft a program on a particular theme, concept, or argument through the use of a variety of literature from drama, prose, and poetry. P.O.I. requires a fair amount of skill. Not only do your poems need to sound different than your prose, but you need to piece everything together in a clear, coherent, and compelling fashion. The opportunities for creativity and personal connection are endless. Use of manuscript is required.

Prose Interp

AFA, NFA, IFA,

PRP, DSR, PKD

Prose is all about stories and narratives and can include novels, short stories, articles, memoirs, and essays be it fiction or non-fiction (though children's literature is virtually non-existent.) Some Prose performances have a single narrator addressing the audience while others may include different characters. You'll find that some stories lend themselves to using a different point of view, and performers exploring narration in first-, second-, or third-person. Your basic goal is to 'tell a story.' Use of manuscript is required.

These are very basic overviews of the various interp events. Consider it a very quick introduction. In future posts, we'll explore each event in more depth.

For many high school competitors, college interp may appear to lack the appearance of fun to which they are generally accustomed. Carrying around a binder and attending a tournament where H.I. doesn't exist sounds like...well...I don't know what it sounds like but I've seen people scrunch their faces like they just drank bad milk. You're going to have to trust me when I say that college interp is FAR FROM BAD MILK. Once you realize that the packaging is just a little different, you open up a carton of college interp and you're like, 'Woah! This tastes like chocolate/strawberry/vanilla/soy/almond awesomeness!"

Everything you enjoy about interp - making people laugh, performing for a crowd, doing something different, making audiences think and feel something - is all there in college interp. Getting familiar with the different events is the first step to finding your niche on the collegiate circuit. Just remember to keep your black book handy, it's your new bestie that will be with you in all of your rounds.

Chances are, if you follow SpeechGeek on Twitter or Facebook, you may have noticed a lot action surrounding the 2014 AFA-NIET earlier this month. If you don't follow SpeechGeek (on Twitter or Facebook or on Pinterest or Tumblr), take a moment to stop reading this blog post and add us now. It's cool, we'll wait.

Some of our more recent followers may have thought, "Where are my memes, SpeechGeek? I'm here for the LOLZ." Some follow SpeechGeek only for the annual coverage of these tournaments. Others shrug and think, "Eh, it doesn't really matter to me."

Don't get us wrong: we get giddy when folks enjoy and share our more humorous posts. But the geeks here feel like we need to make a contribution to the activity beyond pictures of bears wearing bow ties with the caption "#CrossExProbs." We love being silly - but we love forensics a bit more.

That's why hearing people say, "Huh? They have speech in college?" seems like a tiny imaginary foot is stomping on our hearts. YES! Not only is there speech and debate in college, but it is totally awesome!

Sometimes folks who are competing in high school may get told from coaches or alumni that college forensics "isn't for them." Maybe the coach or alum competed in college forensics for a while and really didn't like it. That's okay. The style of performances and speeches that shine in high school may struggle to be rewarded on the college circuit. Maybe they didn't like all of the travel. Maybe there was too much travel for them to balance speech, school, having a job, and experiencing the fifty billion other activities available on a college campus.

But here's the great thing about college: you get the chance to become a different person and try different things. Maybe you're happy to finish your four years in high school. Hey - you do you. You might, however, want another four years of speech before giving it up for good. (Or at least until being a professional interper is an option.) There are people who never clicked in high school who go on to achieve awesome success in college. There are people who have success in both high school AND college. You don't know unless you try.

The University of Alabama Forensic Team at AFA-NIET 2014 (@BamaForensics)

The things that make high school speech so amazing are still there on the collegiate circuit. It is an important and enriching activity that makes you a stand out candidate for graduate schools or jobs later on. Despite what you may think, your critical thinking and argumentation skills have only just scratched the surface. College forensics opens you up to new concepts, ideas, arguments, and literature. You're not only exploring new ways of thinking, but you're discovering more about yourself in the process. You'll get the opportunity to travel out of state -- and in some cases -- out of the country. Some collegiate teams offer full or partial scholarships in an effort to recruit students to their teams. (If you see someone at the National Speech and Debate Association National Tournament with laser focus and a fistful of business cards, it's probably a college coach.) Perhaps the most valuable aspect of college forensics is finding a network of people with a shared interest in what may be a big (and lonely) new campus.

For five years now, SpeechGeek has covered the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament and the National Forensic Association National Tournament. Initially, we covered the tournaments because we were already in attendance as coaches. But even as we transitioned to working on SpeechGeek full-time, we continued to share the information and results.

We continue to do this to not only serve the friends, family, and alumni of college competitors - but to serve you as well. The college competitors are often alumni of your schools or people whom you competed against in the past. The alums of high school competition are often among the most enthusiastic volunteers, judges, and camp counselors. They frequently return after their semester wraps up to help their alma maters prepare for competition in July. Is there anything more inspiring as you prep for summer competition than watching others feel the hype and joy of national tournaments in the spring?

As we prepare to pack up and head to the NFA National Tournament in Ypsilanti, Michigan, we'll be posting articles that give you insight to the different events available in collegiate forensics. If you have questions, suggestions, or contributions, you're always welcome to send them via e-mail to stephanie (at) speechgeek (dot) com.

To get you started, here's a list of links that will help introduce to the teams, organizations, and tournaments you'll find on the collegiate circuit:

Follow us on your favorite social media outlets for live updates, posts, new additions to the store, and general forensics fun. (Oh, here's the bear in a bow tie we promised.)

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https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/13467457-all-of-the-out-round-participants-at-the-2014-afa-niet2014-04-07T19:48:51-05:002014-04-07T19:54:03-05:00All Of the Out Round Participants At the 2014 AFA-NIETStephanie Alderdice
We'd love to title this something exciting like INDY SWEEPS CONTENDERS!! But, without having the original entry, we don't know who qualifies.

PLUS, we wanted to celebrate everyone who made out rounds but only gets one clap at awards.

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https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/13450801-2014-afa-niet-semi-finalists2014-04-07T08:51:12-05:002014-04-07T13:32:31-05:002014 AFA-NIET Semi-FinalistsStephanie Alderdice
Things are heating up in Arizona as the following competitors advance to semi-finals. NOTE - We've color coded each of the quarter-finals sections so you can better see which competitors are going 'head-to-head.'

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https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/13432129-2014-american-forensic-association-national-individual-events-tournament-quarterfinalists2014-04-06T20:22:02-05:002014-04-06T20:39:10-05:002014 American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament - QUARTERFINALISTSStephanie Alderdice
Here are all of your quarterfinalists for the 2014 AFA-NIET

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https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/12960393-forensics-and-grit2014-03-18T15:53:17-05:002014-03-18T16:02:12-05:00Forensics and "Grit"Stephanie Alderdice
A recent NPR story began examining the role some educators believe "grit" plays in a student's success. As Tovia Smith points out, "Experts define grit as persistence, determination and resilience; it's that je ne sais quoi that drives one kid to practice trumpet or study Spanish for hours — or years — on end, while another quits after the first setback." Remember that old adage that failure isn't falling but refusing to get back up? It's very similar.

Megan Koch, Assistant Director of Forensics and Director of Individual Events at Illinois State University, pointed out just how crucial grit is in our activity:

"It amazes me how often educational researchers "realize" that there is one more super important thing that we aren't teaching our kids in schools....that Forensics has fostered all along. Here is one more. It turns out that it is important for kids to be "gritty," or learn how to succeed despite failure, setbacks and long odds. Anyone who has spent time trying to translate and adjust to judges' ballots, coaches' advice and teammates' pressure knows EXACTLY what this is."

Perhaps our new forensics adage should state, "The triumph isn't in the trophies but in the trying nonetheless."

For an activity that loves movies, it is always fun when a movie comes out about the activity!

A Sort of Homecoming is coming of age drama tells the story of a young woman's life-changing pursuit of a national debate championship. It stars Laura Marano, Parker Mack, Katherine McNamara, Michelle Clunie and Kathleen Wilhoite. The independent feature film recently finished production and is raising funds for marketing and distribution.

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https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/13515061-learning-to-make-small-talk2014-02-27T11:30:00-06:002014-04-09T10:16:23-05:00Learning to Make Small TalkStephanie Alderdice

In his post for Inc., author Jeff Haden received some great advice for dealing with his shyness. When attending a conference, he found himself uncomfortable in a room full of strangers. After another participant seemed to effortlessly strike up conversations, he asked what his trick was. His response:

"Look around the room. Pick someone who looks uncomfortable. Pick someone who seems to feel out of place. Pick someone just like you.

"Then go talk to them. Make it your goal to make that one person feel more comfortable. Then you'll feel more comfortable too."

Don't worry, there's always someone who feels shy at tournaments. It's great practice for life after high school or college when you're forced to enter "the real world."

When it comes to college rivalries, the public often immediately thinks of either athletics teams or institutional prestige. In its special feature on America’s Top Colleges, Forbes magazine decided to touch on spirited rivalries between colleges. While athletics, academics, (and some personal history) were at the heart of many of the rivalries, we were a bit surprised to see two speech teams listed – Bradley University and Western Kentucky University.

Part of it is the novelty in seeing major news outlets reference speech teams.

Another part of it is the word rivalry. It seems laden with animosity. One almost pictures audience members with painted faces and foam fingers screaming antagonistically during a heated D.I. round, “YOU CALL THAT A TEASER!?!” The idea of fans bringing vuvuzelas to an extemp round is terrifying.

It’s not uncommon for two teams that frequently cross paths to engage in a competitive tug-of-war. This happens frequently on both the high school and collegiate circuit. Some inter-school competitions are based on proximity, size, or any other shared variable.

The key to discussing Bradley's and WKU's speech teams, however, is the notion of being competitive and remaining cordial. The teams have battled it out for the AFA-NIET and NFA National Tournament championships for years. While both teams share a drive for success, it does not prevent the competitors and coaches from being gracious, polite, and courteous to each other. Countless connections, both personal and professional, have blossomed between members of the two teams.

Forensics teaches us many things. We learn how to be articulate and analytical. We refine our work ethic and open our minds to new ideas. We figure out what to do when we achieve our goals or fall just short of them. However, this may be one of the most difficult and rewarding lessons we can learn from the activity: our competition is not our enemy.

Competition can be wonderful. It can push us to think creatively, perform whole-heartedly, and dedicate ourselves fully. Competition can unite and inspire a team. If we focus too much on it though, we lose sight of everything else. There is much we can learn from our fiercest competitors. But when we are too preoccupied with “beating the other team,” we can’t see all the positive attributes that makes our opponents successful.

Life after forensics is full of competition. Channeling a competitive spirit in a positive way is a crucial skill to learn. What better place to practice it than in the emotional, articulate, intelligent, and fairly quirky confines of forensics?

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https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/8199353-from-pinning-to-winning-10-ways-pinterest-can-help-you-succeed-in-forensics2013-06-26T12:53:02-05:002013-06-27T13:31:45-05:00From Pinning to Winning: 10 Ways Pinterest Can Help You Succeed In ForensicsStephanie Alderdice

Every social media site seemingly has its own personality. Wanna get to know other people? Creep around on Facebook. Need to share your random thoughts? Tweet it out on Twitter. Prefer to express yourself in pictures and GIFs? See you around Tumblr.

While I've had a Pinterest account for over a year, I couldn't shake my initial impression of the site. Pinterest seemed perfect for people who wanted to swap recipes, crafts, and wedding ideas. There was cute stuff on there. But when you're already committing time to other social media outlets (and probably more time than you should), a site needs to be more than just cute to earn time and attention.

If you're not familiar with Pinterest - the premise is simple and the site is easy to navigate. Essentially, Pinterest is a bookmarking site. A "pin" is an image that is accompanied by a description and/or a link to an external web page. "Boards" allow you to collect and organize your pins. Users can browse pins that are posted in a variety of categories ranging from food, drink, crafts, and fashion to science, technology, history, and literature. If someone has posted a pin that you like, you can re-pin it onto one of your boards. If you're browsing the internet and come across a webpage you want to save, Pinterest makes it easy to simply paste the link and post it to one of your boards. Most boards are public - but you can have up to three "secret boards" that only you can view. The Yummy Life has a great tutorial on using Pinterest, and there are videos to walk you through the process as well (such as this one).

After trying to find a way to pull together all of the random links, articles, and videos for forensics I had bookmarked on various computers, e-mailed to myself, or screen-grabbed on my phone - it dawned on me. "Why not just put them all on Pinterest?" The site became the perfect organizational tool and a way to share ideas while collecting a few hidden gems. Plus, the Pinterest app is widely available for free on Apple and Android devices. Need more convincing? Here are ten ways you can utilize Pinterest to prepare for forensics (listed in no particular order):

1. Save articles and topic ideas for public speaking events. The first two on our list make use of secret boards. Sure, you may be able to bookmark an article on your desktop into a folder or e-mail the link with a description to yourself. The benefit of creating a secret board for topics are two-fold. First, you can keep all your topics together in one central location. Second, you can use the description box to leave yourself notes such as how the article can be turned into a speech topic or what person might be interested in reading it. By using a secret board, you don't have to worry about anyone stumbling across your great ideas.

2. Create a reading list of potential interp pieces. Again, another great use of the secret board. Sometimes you'll stumble across a short story online, but you don't have time to look up the author, search to see if and where its published, only to need to bookmark the site (if it isn't on Amazon). Plus, if your school is responsible for making the purchases, you're often encouraged to lump everything together. The description box, again, can be used to make notes about potential performers/events. By creating a secret board for interp literature pins, you're able to collect a list of options to return to when you're ready to order materials.

3. Browse quotations to use as exercises for limited preparation speakers. When you log in to Pinterest, you can click the red icon in the upper left hand corner of the screen. You'll be provided with a list of categories from which to choose. Clicking "Quotes" will allow you to browse and re-pin from hundreds of quotations. Whether you're working on impromptu, extemp, or debate - using quotations to practice analysis, interpretation, and argumentation is always a useful exercise.

4. Bookmark infographics and interesting information for attention getting devices or examples. You don't always have to have an immediate use for a pin. I love collecting bits of trivia, stories, and examples. You can browse the technology, geek, science, nature, and history categories to collect things that are "neat-to-know." They can be added to a limited prep speaker's repertoire of knowledge or used as attention getting devices or examples in a public speech.

5. Hold onto inspirational sayings for team pump-up talks. Sometimes you need to say more than, "Speak pretty everybody!" You'll find plenty of inspirational and motivational quotations on Pinterest to save for those days when warm-ups aren't doing the trick.

6. Manage a playlist of videos for performance tips and ideas. Have you ever watched a video and thought, "That character is hilarious! They would be great in an H.I." or "I'd love to incorporate some of this movement into a Duo!" Videos can be great inspiration for performances. Use clips of celebrity impersonators to discuss vocal distinction. Cartoons are a great way to introduce basic, broad characters to new performers. Is there a cinematic clip that can inspire a dramatic performer? It's easier to hop over to a board of videos to reference than it is to try to search for the video you want (or worse, try to describe what you watched a few weeks ago).

7. Illustrate a variety of style options for tournamentappropriate attire. Research indicates that anywhere from 70 - 90% of communication is non-verbal. That means that to some degree, a competitor's appearance is communication a lot about that person before they begin their event. Most forensics tournaments encourage looking tidy and professional, but this doesn't mean competitors must spend a great deal of money to "look the part." A tournament attire board can illustrate a broad range of what is considered tournament appropriate attire. Pins on pairing shirts and ties, versatile and comfortable shoes, suits, hem lengths, and accessories can inform a student on what to look for or provide guidance in creating a professional appearance with the clothes they already own.

8. Hair, make-up, and grooming tutorials can be useful. As previously mentioned, forensics isn't a beauty pageant but our appearances send non-verbal communication. A competitor's hairstyle or make-up doesn't have to be elaborate to be polished and professional. Still, discussing personal appearances remains a sensitive subject. A Pinterest board of "tournament ready" looks for hair, make-up, and facial hair can be an effective supplement to general discussions of what a coach or team considers competition appropriate appearances. Individuals can browse the pins for inspiration, ideas, and tutorials to achieve a look that is within their comfort zone without feeling singled out or embarrassed.

9. Collect remedies for tournament troubles. Speakers lose their voices, pop buttons, rip panty hose and face all sorts of other tribulations at tournaments. If you're lucky, you have back-up supplies in your bag. If not, it always helps to have tips saved from the DIY and health & fitness boards to help you out.

10. Add flair to tournament hosting with recipes and decorating tips. Let's not forget the hallmark of Pinterest: recipes and decorating. Coaches have their hands full when it comes to running a tournament. Tournament hosting, however, can be an awesome exercise in team work and hospitality. Pinterest is great at providing ideas that utilize items you already own. Browse party planning and decorating boards for tournament theme ideas. Students can be assigned tasks from making signs to centerpieces, or even simple recipes to put in the lounge. There are plenty of opportunities for students to help host an awesome tournament while coaches are busy with entries, schematics, and running tab.

There's no limit to the number of ways you can utilize Pinterest in your forensics preparation. You can keep some boards secret but you can also share pins with other competitors and coaches. Make sure to follow our boards on Pinterest for inspiration, ideas, items from the store, links to articles about forensics, and anything else we think would be of interest to fellow speech geeks!

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https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/8025967-when-forensics-slams-into-poetry-an-interview-with-slam-poet-adam-henzbo-henze2013-06-03T00:00:00-05:002013-06-03T15:17:32-05:00When Forensics "Slams" Into Poetry: An Interview With Slam Poet Adam "Henzbo" HenzeStephanie Alderdice
In case you missed it, the National Forensic League recently hosted its first online Spoken-Word Poetry Competition. The four winners, Emma Bleker (TX), Jason Fotso (MN), Annika Hansteen Izora (OR), and Erin Phillips (MA) will perform their original poetry as the opening act for Daniel Beaty at the awards ceremony for the 2013 National Tournament. Chosen out of the over eighty submissions, the winners represent just a few of the growing crossover between forensics and slam poetry.

Slam poetry, also known as spoken-word poetry, has had a tremendous impact on forensics. Though the average interper may need to brush up her or his Shakespeare, chances are there is at least one person at any given tournament that can recite at least part of Taylor Mali's "What Teachers Make." As more poets make their literature and performances accessible online, more competitors are finding pieces and voices that speak to their own experience. Moreover, slam poetry offers students who love poetry, performance, and competition an outlet once their forensics eligibility has ended.

We're chatting with one such alum, Adam "Henzbo" Henze, about his experience in forensics, his new book of slam poetry, and an awesome opportunity for aspiring performance poets to hone their skills.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Right now I live in Indianapolis, where I teach on both the high school and college level. I grew up in Evansville, IN, where I attended F.J. Reitz High. One day my freshman year I stumbled into the speech office, and my life changed forever. I went to Western Kentucky University on a speech scholarship, where I was part of their first national championship team in 2003. After speech I traveled around for a little while, before moving to Indianapolis to pursue a Masters in Education and coach speech at the University of Indianapolis.

What were your favorite events in high school?

I loved all the interp categories in high school: poetry, duo, prose. But because our school was an NFL school, I mostly focused on dramatic interpretation. I competed at NFL Nationals 3 times, and in 2001 I was fortunate to place 3rd in D.I. performing a piece called "Jason." It was one of my favorite pieces, because I related to it so much. The play is about a man with special needs who is applying to live in a cooperative housing unit. I empathized with the character because my family has a history of advocacy for the differently abled community: my uncle was autistic, and my grandmother was one of the founding members of The Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC). I enjoyed stepping into the shoes of a character who experiences challenges that are different than what I often go through in my own life. I guess the script has gotten pretty popular, but when I did it the play was unheard of in the forensics community.

How did you first get involved in spoken word poetry?

I got into spoken word poetry because I really enjoyed the slam artists I explored in my poetry programs. When my 4 years of eligibility were up in college, I really wanted to keep performing in some capacity. Slam provided me with a similar catharsis that speech did, and I was surprised to find that other former speechies were popping up in the slam scene as well. It was a great feeling when I realized there was not an expiration date on my ability to perform and create.

How is competing at poetry slams similar to and different from competing at forensics tournaments?

Slam is really similar to speech: your performance is judged by members of the audience, there are outrounds and breaks for individuals who score high, there are the same networking opportunities and chances to travel, you compete against other communicators from all over the country. I'd say one of the main differences is in slam you perform your own work. Also, while in speech we often seek out experienced judges, in slam we really like using judges who are everyday individuals--who've never seen a slam before. Finally, the biggest change for me: in speech you perform for like 12 hours a day over the course of a weekend. Slam you really only perform a couple minutes each night. It was like going from a marathon to a sprint. You have 3 minutes, and you have to put your all into them.

Where do you find inspiration for your poetry?

I get inspired to write poetry when I feel powerless. Maybe my boss was picking on me and I had to bite my tongue, or maybe I witnessed someone being treated unfairly and felt helpless to act. Writing empowers me to use my voice in a different way, and often I feel more capable after putting my emotions into words.

I think speech kids will really like my new book of poetry because of the recurring themes. It's called 'Written in the Dish Pit,' and is comprised of my first 10 years of work. I wrote a lot of poems about waiting tables in my 20's, I have a lot of poems about my family and my personal relationships, and a lot of the book is about my travels on the road. There are definitely a few cuttings in there for speechies looking for new lit. I've seen my poetry pop up on the forensics circuit a few times, but this is the first time I have a book out with an ISBN number. Some students from states with different rules could use poetry from my previously released CD's, but now everyone can use my poetry if it resonates with them. The book is available at Amazon.

You're hosting a camp for aspiring slam poets. What would attendees look forward to at the camp?

I am really happy to be hosting the second year of our summer camp, an academic intensive focused entirely on teaching the writing and performance mechanics of poetry slam. The camp is called "The Gustavus Adolphus College Institute of Spoken Word and Poetry Slam." In addition to writing and performance, we also expose students to dozens and dozens of quality poems and artists--which is great for speech geeks looking for good lit. We also teach students how to publish their own work, how to book tours and network, and how to strategize in competitive slams. The camp hopes to take a writer of any skill and turn them into a word warrior by the end of the week. Another appeal to our camp is that we accept graduating high school seniors. So many former speechies find themselves left out the summer between high school and undergrad because they can't apply to most speech camps, and we encourage those home-for-the-summer students to take advantage of our camp. I am really happy with our partnership with Gustavus Adolphus College: the facilities are wonderful, the dorms are big, the cafeteria is great, and the faculty really goes the extra mile to give students a memorable experience. Kris Kracht, the Director of Academic Camps at Gustavus, offered the following words:

Gustavus is honored to be associated with some of the most successful slam poetry artists in the past decade, and our institute provides aspiring poets an opportunity to learn and hone their skills in an academic environment. We have students registered from 13 different states, which speaks to the growing popularity of slam poetry and this institute.

If someone is interested in attending the camp, where can they apply and when do they need to submit their application?

The camp is an annual summer institute, and takes place the last week of June. The deadline for registration is coming up quick on June 8th. Interested students can learn more and register at https://gustavus.edu/camps/slamcamp/. Both the students and staff had a life-changing experience last year, and we expect no different for 2013.

What piece of writing advice would you give to aspiring poets?

The best writing advice I can give is read, read, read. Introduce yourself to new writers, diverse writers, writers of different styles and time periods. The more poetry you read the more tools you will have to help you develop your own voice.

What advice would you give someone about to perform in a competition -- be it slam poetry, forensics, or both?

My first World Poetry Slam, I was so nervous. There were poets walking around with HBO jackets, who had books published and had appeared on MTV and BET. I felt like I was going to be sick the room was spinning so much. A big-named poet named Corbet Dean walked up to me and said, "You are the only one that can tell your story. The are other artists here who have stories to tell, but none of them are yours." That was really special to me. It reminded me that I am unique and that my voice is important. I think all performers need to realize that they are worthy.

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https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/7825799-23-year-old-forensics-alum-running-for-mayor2013-05-07T05:15:22-05:002013-05-07T05:39:28-05:0023 Year Old Forensics Alum Running For MayorStephanie Alderdice
If you think about it, campaigning for public office bears a striking resemblance to competing at a forensics tournament. The days are long, you meet tons of people, you make plenty of speeches, and you're energized by a mix of passion, ambition, and nerves. And in the end, if you've been able to persuade the people listening to your message, you come out on top.

Hopefully the parallels prove useful for William Igbokwe. At twenty-three, Igbokwe is making waves as one of three candidates campaigning for mayor in Jacksonville, Texas. Described as "candid, thoughtful, and well-spoken," the University of Texas graduate isn't letting the age gap intimidate him. (Igbokwe is twenty to fifty years younger than the other candidates.) With the election on May 10th, we were fortunate to get a little bit of time to learn how forensics has helped Igbokwe on the path to public office.

Did you compete in high school forensics? I competed for Jacksonville High school on the UIL circuit in Texas. For four years, I was the only person on my forensics team. I competed in Extemporaneous Speaking and Prose Interpretation.

What skills did you learn in forensics that have helped you on the campaign trail? There are an assortment of skills that I've acquired through forensics that have assisted me tremendously on the campaign trail. The two that have been my greatest ally is the ability to speak extemporaneously and the ability to keep composure during high pressure situations. Particularly, the ability to speak extemporaneously has been especially invaluable. While on the campaign trail, I've been interviewed numerous times by media without any prior knowledge as to what these news outlets would be asking specifically (thanks, media!). Additionally, I also participated in a Mayoral debate where, again, there was no way to know what was going to be asked of me specifically, ahead of time. However, rather than trying to prep out answers to possible questions, I relied upon my experience in "speaking off the cuff", forensics style, to guide me to a solid performance. The ability to slow down your thoughts, control your fluency, alter syntax, and select powerful verbiage to enhance whatever point you're trying to get across to an audience is an art form I've been working to improve for over a decade. Fortunately, having been just one year out of college forensics, I haven't accumulated too much rust on that very important skill set.

What inspired you to run for Mayor? I've always been interested in public policy and the chance to serve as a public official. That is an interest that I will likely never outgrow. The inspiration to run for Mayor, however, derived from a conversation I had with a friend (also a forensics alumnus, also on the campaign team) about the impact young people can have on their communities. Eventually, that conversation evolved into a possible Mayoral bid for my hometown.-- I'm from a town with a population of roughly 20,000 people. In the last Mayoral election, less than two percent of the entire population (409 people) participated in the voting process. As a Political Communication major with the prospect of returning home a year before election season to launch a campaign, I saw an opportunity to help stir within my community a passion for civic engagement or, at the very least, an opportunity to help my community better understand its importance. I jumped at the opportunity.

If elected, what would be your goals? If elected, I have four primary goals for Jacksonville, Texas. 1. Enhance the city's aesthetics, 2. Revitalize the community's job prospects, 3. Promote education in Jacksonville to the extent that the community evolves into a pillar of educational success and overachievement in the greater East Texas community, and 4. Lay the foundation for what will be a strong relationship between city government and engaged citizens for years to come. My perspective on community issue can be accessed in greater detail via my campaign website, www.IgbokweforJacksonville.co

Do you have any advice for forensicators interested in public service? For forensicators who dream of public office, I have two pieces of advice. 1. Understand that every performance, regardless of genre, that you construct and deliver in this activity will in some way assist you in developing the core skills you'll need to succeed as a public official; composure, articulateness, the ability to address an audience, speaking extemporaneously, et cetera. 2. You must always stay the course. Seeking public office, especially if you are young and baby-faced, can be grueling and you will not be without your share of detractors. But seeking public office is a lot like doing well at tournament: You're often in a suit, you likely have a message, you certainly have an audience, and if you can convince enough of the right people that your message is the most powerful, the end result will work itself out.

And to anyone in forensics pursing whatever it is that makes them happy, you, as well, must always stay the course. People are entitled to their opinion(s) about whatever you're doing or pursuing. However you, too, are entitled to an opinion about your pursuit of happiness.

Fortunately, only one of those opinions matter.

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https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/7794521-2013-nfl-nationals-topics2013-05-01T09:27:54-05:002013-05-01T09:33:01-05:002013 NFL Nationals TopicsCorey Alderdice
Topics for the 2013 "Sweet Home Alabama" National Forensic League National Speech and Debate Tournament have been announced.

The 2013 National Tournament Lincoln-Douglas topic is Resolved: Oppressive government is more desirable than no government.

Based on a nationwide vote, the 2013 National Tournament Public Forum topic is Resolved: The benefits of American drone strikes against foreign targets outweigh the harms. A total of 377 schools voted for the National Tournament resolution. The winning resolution received 71% of the vote.

2013 National Tournament Extemp Commentary Areas• Building with the BRICs• The Business of America is Business• Immigrants “R” U.S.• Islam and the West• Rethinking Public Education• Tech Tools: Triumphs and Tribulations• Untouchable Trio: Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security• The U.S. Civil War: 150 Years Later• Washington’s Dealmakers and Dealbreakers• You’ve Gotta Have Art

2013 National Tournament U.S. Extemp Areas• American Economic Concerns• American Health: Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act• American Political Theory and Philosophy• Education and Issues of Youth• Judicial Issues• President Obama’s Second Term• The Race is On: American Elections• Science, Technology, and the Environment• The Social Laboratory: State and Local Politics and Policy• The U.S. Budget• The U.S. Congress• U.S. Foreign Policy• The U.S. Next Week

2013 National Tournament International Extemp Areas• Africa• The Americas• ASEAN and Southeast Asia• Asian Powers: China, India, Japan, and the Koreas• A Contest of Ideas: The Struggle for Democracy• Intergovernmental Organizations and Issues of Global Governance• International Political Theory and Philosophy• International Relations• The Middle East• Regional and Global Economic Concerns• Russian and European Affairs• U.S. Foreign Policy• The World Next Week

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https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/7655503-2013-afa-niet-semifinalists2013-04-08T07:48:42-05:002013-04-09T11:14:10-05:002013 AFA-NIET SEMIFINALISTSStephanie Alderdice
Pictures of postings will be released on our Twitter
page as soon as we receive them. The transcriptions of those pictures
are posted below. We will do our best to be accurate, but don't hesitate
to let us know of any corrections.

Best of luck to everyone in Kansas and everyone else monitoring the internet!

----------------

IMPROMPTU

SECTION A

18001 - DAVID DEPINO

16103 - DANIEL HATOUM

17912 - JACOBY COCHRAN

10503 - HARRISON POSTLER

16904 - MICHAEL KELLEY

10212 - MARSHALL COVERT

SECTION B

13210 - KELSEY ABELE

13602- COLLIN METCALF

17004 - ROB WARCHOL

17002 - BRENNAN MORRIS

17403 - PATRICK SEICK

14501 - ALEX GONZALEZ

INFORMATIVE

SECTION A

10204 – JANNIQUA DAWKINS

10209 – TYLER RIFE

17004 – ROB WARCHOL

17905 – JACOBY COCHRAN

15505 – LAURELAI HISTED

16103 – DANIEL HATOUM

SECTION B

16902 – JENNA SURPRENANT

17907 – RYAN TINLIN

10203 – GABRIELLA DEVIA-ALLEN

17904 – CECIL BLUTCHER

10202 – EMMA WILCZYNSKI

10206 – NICK GILYARD

PROSE

SECTION A

10210 – JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ

10213 – RAY ROBERTS

17909 – KAYBEE BROWN

17010 – LANDRY AYERS

17405 – ISAAC REIMER

16401 – COLE EVANS

SECTION B

13612 – TAYLOR MCDONALD

14607 – PATRICK SATHER

13613 – THADDEUS FITZPATRICK

16408 - LAUREN ACKERMAN

17910 – MORGAN GREEN

10209 – TYLER RIFE

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DUO

SECTION A

10201 – PRATT/RIFE

17904 – BLUTCHER/BROWN

17906 – OCASIO/DILLON

10206 – GILYARD/ROBERTS

15601 – SHIFFLETT/LAWTON

17803 – RICHARDSON/CHAPMAN

SECTION B

10501 – COURTNEY/TAYLOR

14603 – PLANOS/SATHER

17008 – OHRENBERGER/WILDMAN

16102 – SANLIN/GIFFIN

17919 – TINLIN/RESTAINO

16404 – PUMENTAL/ACKERMAN

POI

SECTION A

16112 – LARIO ALBARRAN

16409 – TRAE GRAHAM

10213 – RAY ROBERTS

10201 – ELLE PRATT

17902 – AARON FULLMAN

10222 – RICHARD HEYNE

SECTION B

10225 – LATAYA WILLIAMS

10207 – SARAH BRAZIER

16408 – LAUREN ACKERMAN

17904 – CECIL BLUTCHER

10211 – LINDSEY WHITE

17918 – GABBY DILLON

EXTEMP

SECTION A

17912 – BEN GADDIS

13602 – COLLIN METCALF

16101 – ALEX HATOUM

10214 – ALEXIS ELLIOTT

17011 – A.K. KOMANDURI

16303 – MILANA DUGGAN

SECTION B

14701 – JAMES QIAN

17002 – BRENNAN MORRIS

16105 – JAIME GARCIA

17003 – MICHAEL SCOTT

17004 – ROB WARCHOL

18001 – DAVID DEPINO

PERSUASION

SECTION A

17901 – A.J. CURRY

17906 – JUNIOR OCASIO

16402 – NATALIE SCHNEIDER

16115 – ASHLEY KOHLBRAND

14612 – LAUREN SCHAAL

17903 – BROOKE STEVENSON

SECTION B

16702 – CASEY MCDONALD

17905 – JACOBY COCHRAN

18001 – DAVID DEPINO

14801 – JARVIS SAM

17908 – TYLER TYMINSKI

13206 – SHELBY WILDS

----------------------------

CA

SECTION A

14801 – J. SAM

17907 – R. TINLIN

14612 – SCHAAL

16305 – ROTH

10222 – R. HEYNE

17905 – J. COCHRAN

SECTION B

15505 – HISTED

17906 – OCASIO

16202 – EWING

11801 – BOWMAN

17901 – A. CURRY

17004 – WARCHOL

ADS SECTION A

17403 – P. SEICK

17907 – R.TINLIN

10208 – T. MCLARTY

17915 - J. GALLOWAY

14610 – G. SOLEM-PFEIFER

15103 – DEELY

SECTION B

10503 – H. POSTLER

15515 – T. MAHAN

17903 – B. STEVENSON

17905 – J. COCHRAN

17102 - BRIGHT

17912 – B. GADDIS

POETRY

SECTION A

13613 – T. FITZPATRICK

14603 – J. PLANOS

16107 – K. GIFFIN

14617 -KLUCK

16108 - M. KING

17906 – J. OCASIO

SECTION B

17904 – C. BLUTCHER

17909 – K. BROWN

10213 – D. WILSON

13208 – C. TRAIN
16404 - PIMENTEL

13105 – EHLY

D.I.

SECTION A

10213 – R. ROBERTS

17909 – K. BROWN

10508 – H. POSTLER

17008 – D. OHRENBERGER

13207 – B. MUELLER

13612 – T. MCDONALD

SECTION B

13613 – T. FITZPATRICK

10211 – L. WHITE

15407 – B. GRAY

17910 – M. GREEN

10207 – S. BRAZIER

10209 – T. RIFE

]]>
https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/7653673-2013-afa-niet-quarterfinalists2013-04-07T20:58:11-05:002013-04-08T09:05:21-05:002013 AFA-NIET QUARTERFINALISTSStephanie Alderdice
Pictures of postings will be released on our Twitter page as soon as we receive them. The transcriptions of those pictures are posted below. We will do our best to be accurate, but don't hesitate to let us know of any corrections.

Best of luck to everyone in Kansas and everyone else monitoring the internet!

----------------

IMPROMPTU

SECTION A:

17913 - N. TOMES

10503 - H. POSTLER

17403 - P. SEICK

10224 - N. DUKES

16904 - M. KELLEY

10502 - J. RUSSELL

SECTION B:

17004 - R. WARCHOL

17302 - J. WRASSE

10212 - M. COVERT

10214 - A. ELLIOTT

17002 - B. MORRIS

16410 - N. RAJAGOPALAN

SECTION C.

19611 - K. Colson

16701 - A. Nixon

17912 - J. Cochran

17912 - B. Gaddis

14501 - A. Gonzalez

13602- C. Metcalf

SECTION D.

16103 - D. Hatoum

14803 -K. Edosomwan

12108 - B. Aasmundstad

13210 - K. Abele

13212 - L. Boese

18001 - D. Depino

INFORMATIVE

SECTION A

17902 – C. FULLMAN

17905 – J. COCHRAN

17906 – J. OCASIO

15505 – L. HISTED

13202 – C. MOUA

10202 – E. WILCZYNSKI

SECTION B

10203 – G. DEVIA-ALLEN

16401 – C. EVANS

15802 – E. AVERY

17904 – C. BLUTCHER

16103 – D. HATOUM

13104 – T. STROBL

SECTION C

10206 – N. GILYARD

15508 – M. TRISTANO

17903 – B. STEVENSON

17907 – R. TINLIN

17004 – R. WARCHOL

17002 – B. MORRIS

SECTION D

17908 – T.TYMINSKI

10204 – J. DAWKINS

15401 – J. ALEXANDER

10209 – T. RIFE

18001 – D. DEPINO

16902 – J. SURPRENANT

PROSE

SECTION A

17405 – I. REIMER

15402 – C. WEINECKE

17910 – M. GREEN

16408 - L.ACKERMAN

17903 - K. STEVENSON

14611 - C. RODRIGUEZ

SECTION B

17102 – N. BRIGHT

10209 – T. RIFE

16112 – L. ALBARRAN

17909 – K. BROWN

17904 – C. BLUTCHER

17010 – L. AYERS

SECTION C

17911 – S. JONES

15703 – L. FIATOA

13613 – T. FITZPATRICK

16401 – C. EVANS

17401 – E. MANN

10213 – R. ROBERTS

SECTION D

13612 – T. MCDONALD

15601 – C. SHIFFLETT

16409 – T. GRAHAM

10210 – J. RODRIGUEZ

17306 – J. MONTGOMERY

14607 – P. SATHER

----------------------------------------------

PATTERN B

EXTEMP

SECTION A

17004 – R. WARCHOL

17905 – J. COCHRAN

17011 – KOMANDURI

16104 – Q. BARA

15513 – B. ROHMAN

10214 – A. ELLIOTT

SECTION B

16702 – C. MCDONALD

16402 – N. SCHNEIDER

13001 – J. STAGE

17003 – M. SCOTT

16105 – J. GARCIA

16303 – M. DUGGAN

SECTION C

14610 – G. SOLEM-PFEIFER

18001 – D. DEPINO

17002 – B. MORRIS

13614 – D. VAUGHN

16101 – D. HATOUM

17908 – T. TYMINSKI

SECTION D

10218 – P. SETTLES

13602 – C. METCALF

17012 – I. BIRDWELL

17912 – B. GADDIS

14701 – J. QIAN

14801 – J. SAM

PERSUASION

SECTION A

17006 – A. MARTIN

13103 – J. JOHNSON

14612 – L. SCHAAL

17908 – T. TYMINSKI

12004 – R. BUEGE

16115 – A. KOHLBRAND

SECTION B

17903 – B. STEVENSON

17011 – A. KOMANDURI

13202 – C. MOUA

18001 – D. DEPINO

14801 – J. SAM

15508 – A. TRISTANO

SECTION C

14613 – R. RISTAU

16402 – SCHNEIDER

17905 – J. COCHRAN

13614 – D. VAUGHN

13615 – K. LEE

13206 – S. WILDS

SECTION D

16904 – M. KELLEY

17906 – J. OCASIO

16702 – C. MCDONALD

10206 – N. GILYARD

15512 – R. LARBERG

17901 – A. CURRY

POI

SECTION A

17902 – A. FULLMAN

10211 – L. WHITE

13109 – DECAMP

16401 – EVANS

10201 – E. PRATT

14617 – N. KLUCK

SECTION B

10226 – L. GARLINGTON

10222 – R. HEYNE

10501 – R. TAYLOR

17904 – C. BLUTCHER

16404 – Q. PIMENTEL

16408 – L. ACKERMAN

SECTION C

13104 – STROBL

13005 – R. FERNANDEZ

10213 – R. ROBERTS

10207 – S. BRAZIER

17918 – G. DILLON

12002 – SHELTON

SECTION D

16112 – C. ALBARRAN

13105 – K. EHLY

13210 – K. ABELE

14603 – J. PLANOS

10225 – L. WILLIAMS

16409 – T. GRAHAM

DUO

SECTION A

10223 – WILSON/WILLIAMS

13504 – APODACA/OROZCO

15601 – SHIFFLETT/LAWTON

17919 – TINLIN/RESTAINO

10505 – COURTNEY/POSTLER

10206 – GILYARD/ROBERTS

SECTION B

16102 – SANLIN/GIFFIN

10504 – PARIS/POSTLER

16401 – EVANS/GRAHAM

10226 – GARLINGTON/MCLARTY

17803 – RICHARDSON/CHAPMAN

17008 – OHRENBERGER/WILDMAN

SECTION C

16404 – PUMENTAL/ACKERMAN

17906 – OCASIO/DILLON

17910 – GREEN/MCCLURE

13613 – FITZPATRICK/MCDONALD

14603 – PLANOS/SATHER

16108 – KING/KING

SECTION D

10501 – COURTNEY/TAYLOR

17904 – BLUTCHER/BROWN

17021 – BARSTEIN/EISENSTEIN

10201 – PRATT/RIFE

17806 – WILLIAMS/CUMMINGS

13208 – BURLINGAME/MUELLER

-------------------------

PATTERN C

ADS

SECTION A

10221 – J.NEWBERRY

17915 - J. GALLOWAY

12504 - M. BOYD

17102 - BRIGHT

13203 - TRAIN

14610 – G. SOLEM-PFEIFER

SECTION B.

17010 – L. AYERS

10220 – I. DOWTY

15103 – DEELY

17903 – B. STEVENSON

17905 – J. COCHRAN

16301 – G. ROJEK

SECTION C

1550 – BALINSKI

15515 – T. MCAHAN

17912 – B. GADDIS

15511 – MEHOCHKO

10208 – T. MCLARTY

13208 – A. BURLINGAME

SECTION D

10503 – H. POSTLER

17907 – R.TINLIN

17403 – P. SEICK

16101 – A. HATOUM

12101 – G. KUEPPERS

16407 – K. CURRIN

POETRY

SECTION A

16404 - PRESNTEL (?)

17918 – G. DILLON

14617 -KLUCK

10225 - L. WILLIAMS

16108 - M. KING

17007 - S. HANKEY

SECTION B.

14607 – P. SATHER

10213 – D. WILSON

17906 – J. OCASIO

15907 – B. GRAY

16409 – T. GRAHAM

13208 – C. TRAIN

SECTION C

16107 – K. GIFFIN

17909 – K. BROWN

10205 – K. MEDERO

17910 – M. GREEN

13207 – T. MUELLER

13105 – EHLY

SECTION D

10206 – N. GILYARD

10213 – R. ROBERTS

13613 – T. FITZPATRICK

17904 – C. BLUTCHER

14603 – J. PLANOS

DI

SECTION A

14617 – ROACK (?)

10203 – G. DEVIA-ALLEN

10207 – S. BRAZIER

17008 – D. OHRENBERGER

10507 – BOSCH

13207 – B. MUELLER

SECTION B

13612 – T. MCDONALD

17808 – RICHARDSON

15407 – B. GRAY

13210 – K. ABELE

17910 – M. GREEN

17025 – L. PERLAMUTER

SECTION C

10211 – L. WHITE

17014 - BENNETT

10209 – T. RIFE

10508 – H. POSTLER

10505 – R. COURTNEY

15601 – C. SHIFFLETT

SECTION D

17909 – K. BROWN

13613 – T. FITZPATRICK

10213 – R. ROBERTS

16408 – L. ACKERMAN

17904 – C. BLUTCHER

17017 – W. WILDMAN

CA

SECTION A

17601 – OCHOA

17002 – MORRIS

17901 – A. CURRY

10222 – R. HEYNE

13206 – WILDS

16305 – ROTH

SECTION B

16301 – G. ROJEK

16202 – EWING

11801 – BOWMAN

17905 – J. COCHRAN

13202 – C. MOUA

17908 – T. TYMINSKI

SECTION C

14612 – SCHAAL

17004 – WARCHOL

17916 – RABIN

16402 – SCHNEIDER

17906 – OCASIO

16114 – PRADHAN

SECTION D

13605 – K. PABST

17917 – K. WATKINS

14801 – J. SAM

17907 – R. TINLIN

15505 – HISTED

13701 - LARREAU

]]>
https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/7650647-2013-afa-niet-quarterfinalists2013-04-07T14:32:14-05:002013-04-07T16:39:31-05:002013 AFA-NIET QUARTERFINALISTSStephanie Alderdice
Pictures of postings will be released on our Twitter page as soon as we receive them. The transcriptions of those pictures are posted below. We will do our best to be accurate, but don't hesitate to let us know of any corrections.

Best of luck to everyone in Kansas and everyone else monitoring the internet!

----------------

IMPROMPTU

SECTION A:

17913 - N. TOMES

10503 - H. POSTLER

17403 - P. SEICK

10224 - N. DUKES

16904 - M. KELLEY

10502 - J. RUSSELL

SECTION B:

17004 - R. WARCHOL

17302 - J. WRASSE

10212 - M. COVERT

10214 - A. ELLIOTT

17002 - B. MORRIS

16410 - N. RAJAGOPALAN

SECTION C.

19611 - K. COLSON

16701 - A. NIXON

17912 - J. COCHRAN

17912 - B. GADDIS

14501 - A. GONZALEZ

13602- C. METCALF

SECTION D.

16103 - D. HATOUM

14803 -K. EDOSOMWAN

12108 - B. AASMUNSTAD

13210 - K. ABELE

13212 - L. BOESE

18001 - D. DEPINO

INFORMATIVE

SECTION A

17902 – C. FULLMAN

17905 – J. COCHRAN

17906 – J. OCASIO

15505 – L. HISTED

13202 – C. MOUA

10202 – E. WILCZYNSKI

SECTION B

10203 – G. DEVIA-ALLEN

16401 – C. EVANS

15802 – E. AVERY

17904 – C. BLUTCHER

16103 – D. HATOUM

13104 – T. STROBL

SECTION C

10206 – N. GILYARD

15508 – M. TRISTANO

17903 – B. STEVENSON

17907 – R. TINLIN

17004 – R. WARCHOL

17002 – B. MORRIS

SECTION D

17908 – T.TYMINSKI

10204 – J. DAWKINS

15401 – J. ALEXANDER

10209 – T. RIFE

18001 – D. DEPINO

16902 – J. SURPRENANT

PROSE

SECTION A

17405 – I. REIMER

15402 – C. WEINECKE

17910 – M. GREEN

16408 - L.ACKERMAN

17903 - K. STEVENSON

14611 - C. RODRIGUEZ

SECTION B

17102 – N. BRIGHT

10209 – T. RIFE

16112 – L. ALBARRAN

17909 – K. BROWN

17904 – C. BLUTCHER

17010 – L. AYERS

SECTION C

17911 – S. JONES

15703 – L. FIATOA

13613 – T. FITZPATRICK

16401 – C. EVANS

17401 – E. MANN

10213 – R. ROBERTS

SECTION D

13612 – T. MCDONALD

15601 – C. SHIFFLETT

16409 – T. GRAHAM

10210 – J. RODRIGUEZ

17306 – J. MONTGOMERY

14607 – P. SATHER

----------------------------------------------

PATTERN B

EXTEMP

SECTION A

17004 – R. WARCHOL

17905 – J. COCHRAN

17011 – KOMANDURI

16104 – Q. BARA

15513 – B. ROHMAN

10214 – A. ELLIOTT

SECTION B

16702 – C. MCDONALD

16402 – N. SCHNEIDER

13001 – J. STAGE

17003 – M. SCOTT

16105 – J. GARCIA

16303 – M. DUGGAN

SECTION C

14610 – G. SOLEM-PFEIFER

18001 – D. DEPINO

17002 – B. MORRIS

13614 – D. VAUGHN

16101 – D. HATOUM

17908 – T. TYMINSKI

SECTION D

10218 – P. SETTLES

13602 – C. METCALF

17012 – I. BIRDWELL

17912 – B. GADDIS

14701 – J. QIAN

14801 – J. SAM

PERSUASION

SECTION A

17006 – A. MARTIN

13103 – J. JOHNSON

14612 – L. SCHAAL

17908 – T. TYMINSKI

12004 – R. BUEGE

16115 – A. KOHLBRAND

SECTION B

17903 – B. STEVENSON

17011 – A. KOMANDURI

13202 – C. MOUA

18001 – D. DEPINO

14801 – J. SAM

15508 – A. TRISTANO

SECTION C

14613 – R. RISTAU

16402 – SCHNEIDER

17905 – J. COCHRAN

13614 – D. VAUGHN

13615 – K. LEE

13206 – S. WILDS

SECTION D

16904 – M. KELLEY

17906 – J. OCASIO

16702 – C. MCDONALD

10206 – N. GILYARD

15512 – R. LARBERG

17901 – A. CURRY

POI

SECTION A

17902 – A. FULLMAN

10211 – L. WHITE

13109 – DECAMP

16401 – EVANS

10201 – E. PRATT

14617 – N. KLUCK

SECTION B

10226 – L. GARLINGTON

10222 – R. HEYNE

10501 – R. TAYLOR

17904 – C. BLUTCHER

16404 – Q. PIMENTEL

16408 – L. ACKERMAN

SECTION C

13104 – STROBL

13005 – R. FERNANDEZ

10213 – R. ROBERTS

10207 – S. BRAZIER

17918 – G. DILLON

12002 – SHELTON

SECTION D

16112 – C. ALBARRAN

13105 – K. EHLY

13210 – K. ABELE

14603 – J. PLANOS

10225 – L. WILLIAMS

16409 – T. GRAHAM

DUO

SECTION A

10223 – WILSON/WILLIAMS

13504 – APODACA/OROZCO

15601 – SHIFFLETT/LAWTON

17919 – TINLIN/RESTAINO

10505 – COURTNEY/POSTLER

10206 – GILYARD/ROBERTS

SECTION B

16102 – SANLIN/GIFFIN

10504 – PARIS/POSTLER

16401 – EVANS/GRAHAM

10226 – GARLINGTON/MCLARTY

17803 – RICHARDSON/CHAPMAN

17008 – OHRENBERGER/WILDMAN

SECTION C

16404 – PUMENTAL/ACKERMAN

17906 – OCASIO/DILLON

17910 – GREEN/MCCLURE

13613 – FITZPATRICK/MCDONALD

14603 – PLANOS/SATHER

16108 – KING/KING

SECTION D

10501 – COURTNEY/TAYLOR

17904 – BLUTCHER/BROWN

17021 – BARSTEIN/EISENSTEIN

10201 – PRATT/RIFE

17806 – WILLIAMS/CUMMINGS

13208 – BURLINGAME/MUELLER

------------------------------------------

]]>
https://speechgeekmarket.com/blogs/news/7536654-uil-spring-2013-resources2013-03-19T13:21:15-05:002013-03-19T13:41:02-05:00UIL Spring 2013 ResourcesStephanie Alderdice
SpeechGeek is happy to help you prepare for UIL. From extemp subscriptions to help fill out your files, LD briefs to strengthen your cases, to author verification letters for your interp selections, we've got everything you need to make competing this spring a breeze! Simply click the links provided to find the products and information that best meet your needs.

We were thrilled to be able to chat with Shanny Jean about forensics, performing, poetry, and the best advice she can give to competitors.

Tell us a little bit about yourself I grew up in beautiful Ottawa, IL where I competed in high school, and attended Illinois State University in Normal, IL, where I competed in college. I live in the Normal area again with my husbo and dogs, so I guess you could say I’m from Normal… I know, I know. It’s soooo ironic.

How did you get involved in forensics? In my high school, the rumor was that if you wanted to get good parts in plays, you had to be on the speech team. At the time, that’s exactly why I did it—for plays. Then in college, I joined the team because they were recruiting on the quad, and I had nothing better to do. I thought I’d just go to a meeting “to see what it was about.” After college, my husband and I moved to upstate New York, and we were there for about two weeks before I contacted one of the colleges in our town to offer my services to their speech team. That’s when I started my career as a coach—I was a young kid coaching the team at Cornell University. Now I’m coaching high school speech, and I think I like it best of all. The satisfaction of seeing someone find forensics for the first time is so awesome and satisfying. You remember what it was like when you found out there was an activity just for you. Imagine getting to see that moment again and again, year after year. It’s the best.

What were your favorite events? HA. Um. That’s hard. I don’t like to pick favorites! In high school: Humorous Duet Acting, Original Comedy and Prose. (Illinois speech has crazy events!) In college: Prose, Poetry and After Dinner Speaking. And Duo. And Impromptu. Just kidding. I was terrible at Impromptu.

What was your favorite piece/speech you performed? What was it about and what did you enjoy the most about it? Like anyone who did speech for a long time, that’s a tough one to answer. Probably the After Dinner Speech I wrote my junior year of college. It was about women’s menstrual periods and how damaging it is to make that a taboo subject. I loved that speech. It was one of the first times that I wrote something that was 100% my own style—I had figured out what I liked about myself as a writer and a performer, and I showcased those things. I was so proud of that speech every time I performed it. It just made me feel good. There’s no doubt in my mind that that speech is where I learned my chops for my work as a performance poet.

Tell us about the Encyclopedia Shows...how they're different from 'traditional' theater? The Encyclopedia Show is a literary variety show that looks at a different theme each month. We bring in a handful of artists, writers, musicians, comedians, and give them a month to write about an assignment. We do quirky, goofy stuff between the performers, but it’s definitely less like theatre and more like a combination of a poetry slam and vaudeville.

How did the Encyclopedia Shows come into fruition? What was the first one about? I started The Encyclopedia Show with my friend (and former speech teammate) Robbie Q Telfer. We had run a poetry slam in Normal, IL during college, and a few years later, we were like, “It’s time to do something new.” Robb had this idea for a show, and we started developing it, and about six months later, we produced the first ever Encyclopedia Show. The first show was about Bears, and it was a little clunky, but it had so much heart. I remember that the week of the show, I watched the pilot episode of Saturday Night Live. It was a little rough—in hindsight, you could see exactly what the show was going to turn into, even if it wasn’t there at the start. That’s kind of like what our first show was like.

What cities are there currently Encyclopedia groups performing? Chicago! Austin, TX! New York! L.A.! Washington D.C.! Omaha! Boston! Phoenix! Seoul, South Korea! And there are others. It’s sort of amazing.

You're also a published poet! What can you tell us about your book of poetry, "I Love Science?" WAHOO! I am a published poet! It makes me so proud! I Love Science! is a book about a lot of things—some of them fun, some of them heartbreaking. Books of poetry aren’t like novels, really. It’s not like you can say, “This book is about ___.” You say, “It’s sort of about ____, but it’s also about _____.” I was watching a round of poetry at a speech tournament where a girl I didn’t know was performing “I Love Science!” and according to her intro, it’s a funny and heartbreaking poetic autobiography. I like that. (See!? People do listen to intros!) By the way, CAN YOU IMAGINE performing in a round where it turns out the writer of your program is watching?! I can’t imagine it. When the round was over, I went over and introduced myself. We were both FREAKING OUT.

Where do you find inspiration for your poetry? Depends on my mood! If there is something gnawing on my brain, I have to sit down and figure out what is bothering me so much. In that way, my life is the biggest inspiration. If nothing’s going on and I’m feeling fancy-free, then the world is my oyster. In that case, I can write about whatever I want. It’s weird to say that I can’t always write about whatever I want, but sometimes, I just can’t. Sometimes, there are things I absolutely have to write about, just so I can clear my brain enough to look at other things.

On top of all of that...you also continue to help coach in forensics. What's the biggest piece of advice you'd give current competitors? Yep! I love speech, and I love coaching it. It makes me a better performer and writer, and being a writer and performer makes me better able to coach. It’s a good balance. My advice to forensics competitors? First of all, trust yourself and be yourself. The thing that makes some people electric in performances is they really seem to know what makes them shine. Figure out what it is that makes you shine, and do that thing. Be yourself. If you can be yourself and have fun, you won’t care about the rest of it so much. The second piece of advice isn’t really advice at all, but that’s okay since there’s no rebuttal after this. As competitors, you have only just begun to see the impact that speech will have on your life. I’m thirty, and I am only just beginning to see the impact speech has on my life. I am a lot of things--a performer, a writer, a teacher, a coach. If I hadn’t done speech, I wouldn’t be any of these things. I use the skills I learned competing every single day, and I use them in the things I like doing the most. I am so proud of the work I have done.